Mass Start Classic and Carnie Crush Carnival

It wasn't the high of 9 degrees that the weather forecast called for several days ago.  It was a good 25 F when we woke up this morning in Stowe, VT, and the temp didn't drop much from there. Actually, things  heated up quite a bit more after the races, when all the teams gave out valentine cards to their "Carnie Crushes". The Carnie Crush tradition is always held at the Dartmouth Carnival, the second weekend in February, and although Valentines day is still officially several days away all the spirit of the holiday is loud and present in the slew of cards, candies, poem readings, ballads, choreographed dances, custom made heart-wear, glitter, and blush that is witnessed at the post-race festivities.
    It was a good day for Williams, as the men put 4 and women put 3 inside the top 30.
The men raced first, a 20 k mass start which was slightly less frantic than the previous open carnivals, but with a highly condensed field.  Dimitri and Will stuck to the front pack throughout much of the race, Dimitri finishing in 11th and Will 21st.  Vanya finished just after, in 23rd, and Ian in 28th.   Isaac and Kalle were not far behind, crossing in 33rd and 35th.
   The ladies had a great day, passing racers in order to lower their ranked bib number. Christina, Kristin, and Hannah all skiied close together throughout the race and finished close together in 24th, 27th, 28th.  Holly and Becca skiied inside the top 40 as well, in 39th and 40th.
** Hannah Hausman would like to note, however, that she was officially the first skier across the finish line for the entire women's field -  - - - albeit in a stretcher (after having passed on on course she was given a free ride to the lodge and thankfully checked out an hour later).
  After that scare was over, the team joined the masses of other teams in the parking lot across from Trapps to give out valentines and watch the serenades begin.   
    
Results

Start of the men's race

Start of the women's race: Hannah S, Becca, Kristin, Christina

Holly, Becca

Kristin, Becca, Hannah S

Men's team gets a card from the Colby women

Elena gets serenaded by Bowdoin's Scott Longwell

The Carnie-Crush Scene

The Williams women singing their crush to Colby men's team

Kalle gives his valentine to Carolyn Daniels (BAT)

Elena and Kristin give Alex Howe (UVM) a card